Method oe and apparatus for producing gases



I. HECHENBLEIKNER.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GASES.

i APPLICATION FILED 0CT.6. I9I9. 1,409,295.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

ila-umn.

mom/LMS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

INGENUIN HECHENIBLEIKNER, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TOSOUTHERN ELECTRO-CHEMICAL COMPANY,. 0F NEWl YORK, N. Y., A(.'ORPOIRA'rIoN or NEW JERSEY.

METHOD 0.1i*v AND APPARATS FOR PRODUCING- GASES.

specification of'Lettersrat-ent. Patented Mm?, 14, 1922.'

Application filed October, 1919. Serial No. 328,692.

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I', INGnNUIn HEOHEN- BLEIKNER, a citizen ofthe UnitedStates,

residing at Charlotte, in the county of Meck.

lenburg and State of North Carolina, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Methods of andv Apparatus vfor Producing Gases, of whichthe following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a method of and apparatusA forproducinggases, and is in the nature of an improvement upon the inventionsforming the subject matter of my earlier United States Patents, Nos.1,167,755; 1,299,336; and 1,299,337. VBy reference to these earlierpatents the purpose of my present invention, as hereinafter described,will be readily understood..V For example, by means of theapparatusconstituting the sub ject matter of Patent 1,299,336, I have heretoforepracticed the method yset forthv in companion Patent 1,299,337, that isto say, I have subjected a mixture or charge of phosphate rock and asilicious material containing potash and a proper proportion ofcarbonaceous material to thev action of an electric furnace to generatecertain gases or vapors which were subsequently oxidized and purified,the purified vapors being subsequently further treated, as well knowninthe art, to obtain phosphoric acidand potash. The mixture I usuallyemploy in the production' of the gases is composed of feldspar, calciumphosphate andcoke.

The apparatus shown in Patent 1,299,336 embraces an electric furnacehaving a mixl ing chamber communicating therewith and mixing chamber.

an inclined rotary kiln connected with the Certain components -of thecharge, such as the feldspar and calcium phosphate are fed into the kilnat a point distant to the mixing chamber,`and travelling throughsubstantially the vlength of the Y kiln pass into the mixing chamberwhere they are mixed with the coke 1 and forced into the electricfurnace. The gases issuing from the furnaceV pass'upward and outwardthrough the kiln thus meeting and preheating the downcoming charge, allas willf be readily understood by reference to said Patents 1,299,936and 1,299,337.

Y, However, I have found, in using theabove mentioned apparatus, andpracticing the before referred to'method that certain difficulv ties areencountered in manufacturing upon a large commercial scale whichrequires continuous operation. One difficulty is that there is adistinct tendency for certain impurities in the outflowing gases tocondense at the mouth or discharge end of the kiln, thereby forming acrust or accumulation which gradually increases in size and thickness,and which if not removedy from time to time will ultimately choke orclose the dia charge end of the kiln thereby preventing the feeding ofthe charge to the furnace and also interfering with the free outflow ofthe gases. It is a difficult task to remove this crust by means of acrowbarvor other tool in the hands of a workman because of the intenseheat at this portion of the Aapparatus, andtherefore it is frequentlyneces-V sary to shut down the apparatus, or discontinue operation, inorder to permit of the cleaning away of the accumulated crust. Naturallysu'clr shutting down or` cessation of operation curtails the output andis expensive so :that if 'possible it should beA avoided.

With my present invention Iv prevent the formation of this crust oraccumulation at the discharge end ofthe kiln thus avoiding thedisadvantages above recited.

Briefly, I accomplish this object by introducing a `fluid,`such as astream of water or steam, into the discharge end of the kiln. This fluidprevents the formation of the crusts and maintains the-discharge end ofthe kiln clean and clear of all accumulations of foreign substance.Furthermore, by the use of such fluid, I accomplish another desirablepurposev in that it enables me to regulate the heat at the discharge endof the kilnl thereby preventing the lumping or liquefying of thematerial'flowing down the kilnwhich lumping or liqhuefying will occursometimes under the action of excessive heat.

When it does occur the steadyand free feed of the material 'into themixing chamber and furnace willnot take lace. However, by

the use of the fluid, suc as water or steam,

the materialof the charge is maintained in a free-flowing condition andwill readily pass or discharge into thev mixing chamber and furnace.

The amount of the fluid, such as water or steam, which I employ willdepend of course upon the capacity of the furnace and kiln,

and may be regulated in any suitable manner as by valves or the like toobtain desired working conditions.

lVith the aboverecited objects and others of a similar nature in view myinvention consists in the improved apparatus and in the method set forthin and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

ln the accompanying drawings:

Figure l, is aview partly in vertical longitudinal section and partly inelevation of an apparatus embodying myinvention.

Figure 2, is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a portion of theapparatus where the rotary kiln discharges the charge into the mixingchamber of the furnace.

Figure 3, is a horizontal sectional view of such a portion of theapparatus.

Referring' now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the letter Aindicates the elect-ric furnace and B the mixing chamber thereof, whileC is the rotary kiln, inclined to the horizontal, and communicatingI atits lower end with the mixingehamber and mounted at its upper end uponthe neck D communicating with the dust collector' E, the kiln of coursebeing arranged to lirotate. Certain components of the charge, such asthe feldspar and calcium phosphate may be fed through the hopper F tothe kiln and so passed down through the kiln into the mixing chamberwhere these components are-mixed with coke and discharged into theelectric furnace by means of a suitable stoker conventionallyillustrated at G. The electrodes of the furnace are indicated at H whileI yis an air inlet and J is a suction fan for drawing the gases throughthe kiln and dust collector. All of these. parts of the apparatus areshown and described in my aforesaid Patent 1,299,336, and are thereforebut brieliy referred to here.

To prevent the formation of a crust by the condensation of impurities inthe gases, as before mentioned, I provide a pipe or pipes K which leadfrom a suitable source of iuid supply, and through which the fluid,preferably water ork steam, may be introduced into the mouth ordischarge end of the kiln as at K. Each pipe may be provided with asuitable valve L to regulate the amount of water or steam introducedinto the kiln, and also to controler regulate the heat at the end of thekiln so as to prevent lumping or liquefying of the down-coming charge,as. heretofore mentioned. I prefer that the fluid` such as the steam orwater should be discharged into the mouth or discharge end of the kilnat approximately the point or points shown in the drawing, or relativelynear to the mixing chamber, as it is here that the crust is likely toform. but l wish it to'lie understood that my invention is not limitedto the arrangement, position, or system of the piping shown7 as this maybe of any suitable character to suit the particular requirement andpeculiarities of construction of the apparatus in use. l wish it to befurther understood that the invention is not limited to use inconnection with the particular type of apparatus shown in my earlierpatents aforesaid, as it may be used in connection with -any apparatusor system wherein it is useful to prevent the formation of crusts oraccumulations and to maintain a fed charge material in proper conditionunder circumstances like those heretofore mentioned.

What l claim is:

l. An apparatus including a furnace,` means for conductlng gas producingmate' rial to the furnace, and means at a point therein operative forsupplying a fluid to the conducting means to prevent crustation andaccumulation of foreign substances in the. conducting means.

2. An apparatus including a. furnace and a kiln communicating therewithand from which kiln gas producing material is adapted to be dischargedinto the furnace, and means for discharging a fluid into the kiln at a.pointadjacent the furnace operative to prevent crustation and theaccumulation of .foreign substances in the kiln.

l. An apparatus including an electric furnace and a rotary kilncommunicating with the furnace and through which kiln a charge of gasproducing material is adapted to pass into the furnace, and means forsupplying a Huid to the kiln at a point therein operative to preventaccumulation of foreign sul)- stances in the kiln and to maintain thematerial in a free flowing condition.

l. An apparatus including a furnace and a kiln from which `kiln gasproducing mate-A rial is adapted to pass to the furnace, andpipingcommunicating with the interior of the kiln adjacent the furnaceto introduce water or steam into the kiln o aerative during operation ofthe kiln to preventV an ac cumulation of foreign substances in suchkiln.

An. apparatus including a furnace. means Vfor conducting gas producingmaterial to the furnace, and vmeans for supplying. a fluid to theconducting means at apolnt therein operative during the norma-lopeiawtion of the furnace to prevent crustation and accumulationV of foreignsubstances in the conducting means.

G. Theherein-described method which consists in feeding a gas producingcharge into a furnace, and introducing a fluid into the path of themoving charge at a. point in the said path to prevent crust-ation and tomaintain the material in a free flowing or feeding condition.

T. The herein-descrbed method which con- Sists in feeding a gasproducing charge into si furnace, and introducing water or steam intothe path of the moving charge nt L point in the said path to preventcrnstation and to maintain the material in n freefioW- ing orfeedingcondition.

8. The step in the method of feedingl a gas producing charge into afurnace, which 1 consists in introducing adjacent the, furnace a Huidinto the path of the moving charge 10 to prevent ernste-tion and tomaintain the charge in free flowing or feeding condition l:nijaicent`the furnace.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

INGENUI'N lIPUBOHENBLEIKNER.

